The present invention relates generally to a voice-messaging system, and more particularly to systems and methods for using a voice-messaging system to place local and long distance telephone calls.
Current methods of placing calls outside of the home include placing collect calls, calling 10—10 numbers, or using credit cards, “calling cards” or cash. These methods have several disadvantages. For example, collect calls are expensive and are billed to the person called and not to the person placing the call. Calling 10—10 number also can be expensive, and the charges typically must be billed to a credit card, thus making it similar to credit card call.
Credit cards or calling cards generally require a full account number to be entered before placing a call, and thus require a person to either memorize account numbers or carry these cards along. Furthermore, calls placed with credit cards or calling cards are relatively expensive as compared to calls placed from a caller's home phone and are often billed separately from the customer's home phone bill. In addition, not all phones accept all types of cards.
Use of coins in many cases can also be impractical and inconvenient. Most importantly, not all phones accept coins, and in those that do, a long distance call would require many coins and even a local call would require several coins for a longer conversation.
Thus, a need exists for a means to place local and long distance calls from a phone outside the home in a more convenient and less expensive manner.
In the Figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label with a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.